| The custom of wearing charm bracelets
| |
| | are children, and the charm bracelet
|
| dates back thousands of years, and though
| |
| | grows along with them, reflecting hobbies
|
| the materials and designs on them have
| |
| | and personal experience. A charm bracelet
|
| changed, the concept itself has never
| |
| | can hold a small replica of a graduation
|
| gone out of style.This form of jewelry
| |
| | cap, wedding bells, or lockets with
|
| initially had a religous function, and
| |
| | children's photos.Charms are also a
|
| dates back to the prehistoric era.
| |
| | popular gift because of their affordable
|
| According to Elizabeth Florence,
| |
| | price. An intricate silver charm can be
|
| president of the Jewelry Information
| |
| | obtained for less than ten dollars,
|
| Center, "The first charm bracelets were
| |
| | though it is possible to spend hundreds
|
| probably worn by the Assyrians,
| |
| | of dollars on a charm made of 18K and set
|
| Babylonians, Persians and Hittites from
| |
| | with gems.Italian charms, a genre in and
|
| 500 to 400 B.C. Those charms were made of
| |
| | of themselves, do not dangle from a chain
|
| lapis lazuli, rock crystal and other gems
| |
| | like traditional charms. Instead, they
|
| and were inscribed with small designs,
| |
| | are soldered onto flat links which snap
|
| such as figures of gods, man and animals.
| |
| | onto an extensible bracelet. They are
|
| They were immediately associated with
| |
| | embellished with letters, symbols,
|
| special powers."As time passed, charms
| |
| | pictures or stones, or have enamel
|
| lost their protective spiritual functions
| |
| | pictures painted on them. Charms can be
|
| and became fashion jewelry. The 1890's
| |
| | snapped on and off these modular
|
| saw a renaissance of charms, especially
| |
| | bracelets to create new configurations to
|
| in Victorian England, where elaborate and
| |
| | match different moods and outfits. They
|
| intricate jewelry was in vogue. Queen
| |
| | are traditionally made of stainless steel
|
| Victoria helped popularize the trend by
| |
| | or 18k gold. Italian charms are of the
|
| wearing a charm bracelet of small lockets
| |
| | same standard size and the resulting
|
| holding family portraits.WW II caused
| |
| | bracelet can be customized to fit every
|
| another revival of charm bracelets in
| |
| | wrist; a small size holds 17 or less
|
| America in the 1940's and 1950's, as
| |
| | links, a medium 18, and a large 19 or
|
| soldiers stationed abroad picked up
| |
| | more.There are different companies which
|
| charms as souvenirs in the European
| |
| | produce Italian charms, but all brands
|
| cities they visited and brought them home
| |
| | can be interchanged on the same bracelet.
|
| for wives and girlfriends. The fashion
| |
| | The basic "starter" bracelet of blank
|
| trend continued well into
| |
| | links costs approximately five dollars,
|
| peacetime.Charms still remain a popular
| |
| | and the charms cost fifteen dollars and
|
| jewelry item, as personalized keepsakes
| |
| | up. China also manufactures Italian
|
| in an increasingly mass-produced jewelry
| |
| | charms, and while these are popular (and,
|
| market. Popular themes include horoscope
| |
| | as with most Chinese goods, very
|
| signs, birthstone charms, travel
| |
| | competitively priced), some consumers
|
| souvenirs, and family keepsakes. Many
| |
| | report occasional oddities such as
|
| women start collecting charms when they
| |
| | reversed images and poor fit.
|
